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Before Trump’s Speech, a Chaotic White House Follows Tradition Before Trump’s Speech, a Chaotic White House Follows Tradition
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — On any given day, the Trump White House is a frenzied machine that jolts to life after President Trump’s first tweet. But on Tuesday, with hours to go before his first State of the Union address, presidential precedent took hold.WASHINGTON — On any given day, the Trump White House is a frenzied machine that jolts to life after President Trump’s first tweet. But on Tuesday, with hours to go before his first State of the Union address, presidential precedent took hold.
At least for the day.At least for the day.
After weeks spent dictating speech ideas to aides and marking up drafts with his ever-present black Sharpie, Mr. Trump switched to a more stately black felt-tip pen. He kept his Twitter gunpowder dry. And one of the most polarizing commanders in chief in history focused on putting the finishing touches on a speech that he hoped would bring Americans together.After weeks spent dictating speech ideas to aides and marking up drafts with his ever-present black Sharpie, Mr. Trump switched to a more stately black felt-tip pen. He kept his Twitter gunpowder dry. And one of the most polarizing commanders in chief in history focused on putting the finishing touches on a speech that he hoped would bring Americans together.
“I would consider it a great achievement if we could make our country united,” Mr. Trump said, according to a partial transcript the White House published from an off-the-record meeting with network anchors on Tuesday. “If I could unite the country. That’s not an easy thing to do because the views are so divergent.”“I would consider it a great achievement if we could make our country united,” Mr. Trump said, according to a partial transcript the White House published from an off-the-record meeting with network anchors on Tuesday. “If I could unite the country. That’s not an easy thing to do because the views are so divergent.”
Parts of Mr. Trump’s conservative base worried that he may choose the moment to shed his nationalist edge and offer an olive branch to Democrats. But the mood in the West Wing was light as aides focused on applying finishing touches on the speech, and Mr. Trump practiced, as his predecessors have done, in the Map Room.Parts of Mr. Trump’s conservative base worried that he may choose the moment to shed his nationalist edge and offer an olive branch to Democrats. But the mood in the West Wing was light as aides focused on applying finishing touches on the speech, and Mr. Trump practiced, as his predecessors have done, in the Map Room.
At the luncheon with network anchors — a State of the Union tradition — Mr. Trump held court over a meal of smoked tomato soup, roasted chicken and orange meringue pudding. He stressed cooperation and ignored the divisions relating to his administration, mentioning instead those caused by Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and the impeachment of President Bill Clinton — a time “much worse than this,” the president said a longtime Democratic senator had told him.At the luncheon with network anchors — a State of the Union tradition — Mr. Trump held court over a meal of smoked tomato soup, roasted chicken and orange meringue pudding. He stressed cooperation and ignored the divisions relating to his administration, mentioning instead those caused by Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, and the impeachment of President Bill Clinton — a time “much worse than this,” the president said a longtime Democratic senator had told him.
In his lunch meeting, Mr. Trump hinted that he was grappling with how to respond with the outcome of a heated immigration debate that caused a stalemate in Congress and a recent government shutdown.In his lunch meeting, Mr. Trump hinted that he was grappling with how to respond with the outcome of a heated immigration debate that caused a stalemate in Congress and a recent government shutdown.
“I’m telling you, the immigration is so easy to solve if it was purely a business matter, but it’s not,” Mr. Trump said. “And I think that’s something that I’ve learned maybe more than anything else. You have to — you govern with all of the instincts of a businessperson, but you have to add much more heart and soul into your decisions than you would ever have even thought of before.”“I’m telling you, the immigration is so easy to solve if it was purely a business matter, but it’s not,” Mr. Trump said. “And I think that’s something that I’ve learned maybe more than anything else. You have to — you govern with all of the instincts of a businessperson, but you have to add much more heart and soul into your decisions than you would ever have even thought of before.”
Last week, Mr. Trump seemed to undercut his administration’s hard-line message when he told a group of journalists that he would be open to allowing a group of young immigrants called Dreamers, who were brought into the country illegally as children, to “morph into” citizens over time. Mr. Trump has expressed those sentiments before, only to revert to more divisive language within days or even hours.Last week, Mr. Trump seemed to undercut his administration’s hard-line message when he told a group of journalists that he would be open to allowing a group of young immigrants called Dreamers, who were brought into the country illegally as children, to “morph into” citizens over time. Mr. Trump has expressed those sentiments before, only to revert to more divisive language within days or even hours.
In drafting his speech, Mr. Trump relied on Stephen Miller, the senior policy adviser behind much of the White House’s stridently anti-immigration agenda, and a team of speechwriters and aides that included Vince Haley, a longtime aide to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Rob Porter, the president’s staff secretary.In drafting his speech, Mr. Trump relied on Stephen Miller, the senior policy adviser behind much of the White House’s stridently anti-immigration agenda, and a team of speechwriters and aides that included Vince Haley, a longtime aide to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Rob Porter, the president’s staff secretary.
During the 2016 campaign and his first year in the White House, Mr. Trump and Mr. Miller have developed an easy working approach to the president’s speeches, according to a former campaign adviser. Their process, which a White House official said began last fall and in earnest in mid-December for this speech, usually involves Mr. Trump telling Mr. Miller what direction he wants to take with the speech. He will then talk out some lines.During the 2016 campaign and his first year in the White House, Mr. Trump and Mr. Miller have developed an easy working approach to the president’s speeches, according to a former campaign adviser. Their process, which a White House official said began last fall and in earnest in mid-December for this speech, usually involves Mr. Trump telling Mr. Miller what direction he wants to take with the speech. He will then talk out some lines.
Then Mr. Miller, who drafts the material with a keen ear for applause lines he has heard during the president’s previous speeches, usually revamps the speech and hands it back to Mr. Trump.Then Mr. Miller, who drafts the material with a keen ear for applause lines he has heard during the president’s previous speeches, usually revamps the speech and hands it back to Mr. Trump.
On at least one occasion, the president has noticed that Mr. Miller struck a line he had said he wanted in. It is usually restored.On at least one occasion, the president has noticed that Mr. Miller struck a line he had said he wanted in. It is usually restored.
Mr. Trump took at least a few minutes out of his day for a photo op, posing in the Oval Office with the guests who are expected to be seated near the first lady, Melania Trump, during his address. In photographs released by the White House, Mr. Trump shook hands with some guests and flashed his trademark thumbs-up sign while standing next to others.
If tradition is any indication — and at least for today, it was — the last minute back-and-forth between Mr. Trump and his speechwriters could continue until the moment the president departed the White House for the Capitol.If tradition is any indication — and at least for today, it was — the last minute back-and-forth between Mr. Trump and his speechwriters could continue until the moment the president departed the White House for the Capitol.
Mr. Clinton was known to agonize over the details in his speeches until the last minute. He was also able to speak extemporaneously at times, including during the first minutes of his September 1993 address to a joint session of Congress on health care, when a speech from earlier that year was accidentally fed to a teleprompter.Mr. Clinton was known to agonize over the details in his speeches until the last minute. He was also able to speak extemporaneously at times, including during the first minutes of his September 1993 address to a joint session of Congress on health care, when a speech from earlier that year was accidentally fed to a teleprompter.
Cody Keenan, a speechwriter for Mr. Obama, said Mr. Obama tried to lock up speeches the evening before, though things didn’t always go according to plan: Once, Mr. Obama called him back at the last minute to tack on a paragraph to his final State of the Union address.Cody Keenan, a speechwriter for Mr. Obama, said Mr. Obama tried to lock up speeches the evening before, though things didn’t always go according to plan: Once, Mr. Obama called him back at the last minute to tack on a paragraph to his final State of the Union address.
“The worst thing about the last day is version control” and fielding input from other sources, Mr. Keenan said. The final product, he said, is up to the president.“The worst thing about the last day is version control” and fielding input from other sources, Mr. Keenan said. The final product, he said, is up to the president.
Mr. Obama, known to his aides as disciplined and meticulous in preparing for a speech, used to listen to hip-hop music — Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” was a favorite — to get energy to deliver a speech before a crowd. His style stands in contrast with that of Mr. Trump, who tends to leave it to his aides to sweat the key details, and is energized not by the sound of music but the sound of applause directed his way.Mr. Obama, known to his aides as disciplined and meticulous in preparing for a speech, used to listen to hip-hop music — Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” was a favorite — to get energy to deliver a speech before a crowd. His style stands in contrast with that of Mr. Trump, who tends to leave it to his aides to sweat the key details, and is energized not by the sound of music but the sound of applause directed his way.
But the two presidents have one preparatory habit in common: “If someone tried to sneak something in,” Mr. Keenan said of Mr. Obama, “he’d catch it.”But the two presidents have one preparatory habit in common: “If someone tried to sneak something in,” Mr. Keenan said of Mr. Obama, “he’d catch it.”
The last thing Mr. Obama would do before departing to deliver his speech was have dinner with his wife and two daughters. On Tuesday, the White House did not respond to a request for comment over whether Mr. Trump would have dinner with his family. His dinner guest list at the White House is often curated by his chief of staff.The last thing Mr. Obama would do before departing to deliver his speech was have dinner with his wife and two daughters. On Tuesday, the White House did not respond to a request for comment over whether Mr. Trump would have dinner with his family. His dinner guest list at the White House is often curated by his chief of staff.
As the hours crept closer, Mr. Trump kept his head down as he focused on delivering an on-message speech. But the press pool that travels with Mr. Trump arranged to have an extra person monitoring him as he departed the White House, just in case he couldn’t resist delivering something off the cuff.As the hours crept closer, Mr. Trump kept his head down as he focused on delivering an on-message speech. But the press pool that travels with Mr. Trump arranged to have an extra person monitoring him as he departed the White House, just in case he couldn’t resist delivering something off the cuff.